Door latch



Feb. 15, 1955 K J, co 2,702,204

DOOR LATCH Filed March 19, 1952 '(IIIIIIIII'I Kenna II) J. Cal/fer IN VEN TOR.

BY 2km United States Patent 2,702,204 noon LATCH Kenneth J. Collier, Racine, Wis. Application March. 19, 125.2,. ser lN 211, 11 s Claims. (Cl. 292-165)) This invention relates in general to an, improved door latch, and more specificallyto a door latch mechanism which is provided withactuating handles which are normally non-operativelyconnected to a latch element of the latch mechanism.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved door latch for door of a building having means normally rendering same inoperative in order that they may not be opened by small'children,

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved door latch which is provided with handle means longitudinally slidable to the latch mechanism in order to selectively engage the handlesand their associated operating shaft with cam means for moving a latch arm into a released position.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved handle structure and operating shaft which may be easily and conveniently attached to existing, latching mechanisms for doors of a building.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved door latch operating meansin the form of an operating shaft having handles mounted on each end thereof said operating shafthaving a reduced central portion of circular cross-section which is free to rotate within a bore to cam means of the latching mechanism, said operating shaft also having a portion adjacent said reduced portion for engagement within the bore of said cam means for releasing the latch element of the latching mechanism.

With these objects definitely in view, this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail in the specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this specification; and in which:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view taken through a door and its associated latching mechanism, said latching mechanism being provided with an improved operating means, said improved operating means being the subject of this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of a conventional latching mechanism for a door of a building, a portion of the housing of the latching mechanism being broken away and shown in section in order to clearly illustrate the mechanism now at hand; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a portion of the improved operating means for a conventional door latch such as is shown in Figure 1.

Similar characters of reference designate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the different views of the drawmgs.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that there is illustrated in Figure l a portion of a conventional door of a building, said door 10 being provided with a conventional door latch mechanism, said door latch mechanism being referred to in general by the reference numeral 12. The latch mechanism 12 includes a fiat rectangular housing 14 which is mounted within a recess 16 in the door 10. Now within the housing 14 is a latch element 18 which is provided adjacent its rear end with an elongated slot 20. Mounted Within the elongated slot 20 and adapted to move the latch element 18 longitudinally of the housing 14 is a pin 22 integral with a latch element shift lever 24 is operatively in adjusted 2,702,204 Patented F eb. 15:, 19.5.5

ice

whereby the latch element 18 projects out of the hous-,

ing 14. Movement, due to the 'urging of the leaf spring 28, is limited by a stop member 32 carried by the lionsing 14 and engaging the arm 30. The housing 14 is also provided with'lochmeans, 34 for preventingthe piivoting of the actuating lever 24.

In order that thecam member 26 may be actuated by handles 36 and; 38', the cam element 26' is provided with a centrally located transverse bore 40 of'non-circnlar cross-section. In a normal door latch, the handles 36, and 38 are connected to the ends of a square operating shaft- (not shown) which is passed through the bore 40 and rotatable withthe cam member 26. However, such a construction permitsa door tov be readily opened by a small child and necessitates the, locking of said door if it is desired that the child does not open it. The provision of additional locking means, on a door in order to automatically lock same. is expensive and at the same time presents a possibility that the child may be locked in the room.

In order to automatically, lock a door in a closed position without requiring the provision of additional lock,- ingmeans on said door, an improved latch mechanism actuating means has been devised. The latch mechanism actuating means includes a novel operating shaft 42 which is normally square in cross-section and'provided with threaded endportions 44' and 46. Intermediate the end portions 44' and 46 is a reduced central portion 48 which is circular in cross-section. The doorhandles 36 and 3,8 are threadedly engaged on the ends 44. and, 46, respectively, ofthe operating shaft 42 and retainedther'eon positions by lock screws 50 and 5.2, respectively.

Normally the door handles 36 and 38 would have their reduced inner ends 54 and 5,6' engaged in recesses 58 and 600i ornamental plates 62 and, respectively; the plates covering that portion of the door It) on. opposite sides thereof adjacent the latch mechanism 12. However, due to the novel construction of the operating shaft 42 only the door handle 36 engages its respective ornamental plate 62.

The operating shaft 42 is provided with a pair of telescoping sleeves 66 and 68 which are slidably mounted thereon adjacent the reduced ends of the door handles 38. It will be noted that the general shape of the inner end of the sleeve 66 is the same as the reduced end 56 of the door handle 38 and engages in the recess 60 in the ornamental plate 64. Since the external diameter of the sleeve 66 is not as great as the diameter of the end portion of the door knob 38 it is provided with an annular flange 70 which engages the ornamental plate 64.

The sleeve 68 is provided with an annular flange 72 on one end thereof, said annular flange being provided with a recess 74 in which is received the reduced end 56 of the door handle 38. It will be noted that the main portion of the sleeve 68 telescopes within the sleeve 66 and the two sleeves are urged apart by a coil spring 76 mounted within the sleeve 66 and bearing against the end of the sleeve 68. The sleeve 66 is provided with an interned annular flange 78 for retaining the spring 76 therein.

Due to the novel construction of the sleeves 66 and 68 and associated coil spring 76, the door handle 36 is maintapped in tight engagement with the ornamental plate 62 and the door handle 38 is spaced so that it is associated with ornamental plate 64. When the door handle 36 is in engagement with the ornamental plate 62, the reduced portion 48 of the operating shaft 42 is disposed within the bore 40 of the cam member 26. When the door handles 36 and 38 and the operating shaft 42 are so disposed, the handles on the shaft are free to rotate without the associated rotation of the cam member 26. When it is desired to unlatch the door 10, it is necessary to either pull on the door handle 36 or push on the door handle 38 in order to shift the operating shaft 42 and the door handleslo the left, as illustratedsin Figure 1. The movement of the operating shaft 42 to the left results in the engagement of the inner end of the square threaded in-portion 46 into the square bore 40 of the cam member 26 so that the cam member'rotates with the operating shaft 42; When longitudinal pressure is released from the operating shaft 42, the coil spring 76 urges it back to the right, as viewed in Figure 1, and the door handles 36 and 38-and the operating shaft 42 again assume the positions illustrated in Figure 1.

In order that the actuating mechanism functions properly, the sleeves 66 and 68 and the spring 76 are mounted on the side of the door that draws toward you to open. This prevents the accidental engagement of the end portion 46 -on-the operating shaft 42 in the bore 40 due'to pressure exerted'upon one of the door handles in order 'to move the door to an open position. With the latch 'mechanism mounted in the manner illustrated in Figure 1, when it is desired to open the door from the right, as viewed in Figure 1, the door handle 38 is pushed inwardly towards the door 10 and rotated. When the latch element 18 has become disengagedfrom its associated keeper (not shown) the door 10 may be pulled to an open position. The reverse procedure is used to open the door 10 by the door handle 36. Since the openingof the door 10 is a slightly complicated procedure, small children are excluded from room by merely closing the door to the room.

The operation of this device will be understood from the foregoing description of the details thereof, taken in connection with the above recited objects and drawings. Further description would appear to be unnecessary. a

. inor modifications of the device, varying in minor details from the embodiment of the device illustrated and described here, may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new 1s:

1. An improved door handle for use with a conventional door latching mechanism, said door handle comprising an elongated shaft of non-circular cross section; the end of said shaft being provided with operating handles rigidly mounted thereon, a central portion of said shaft being reduced and circular in cross section, telescoping sleeve members mounted on said shaft, one of said .sleevemembers engaging one of said handles, the other of said sleeve members being adapted to engage a door plate, a spring mounted within one of said sleeve members and bearing against the telescoped end of the other of said sleeve members urging said sleeve members apart.

2. An improved door. latching structure comprising a latch element for engagement with a keeper, cam means for shifting said latch element, said cam means being provided with a non-circular cross sectional bore, an operating shaft slidably extending through said bore and having a cross section corresponding to the cross section of said bore, said shaft having a reduced central portion rotatably disposable within said bore, operating handles disposed on opposite ends of said shaft and rigidly secured thereto for rotation therewith, spring means urging said shaft through said bore to normally position said reduced central portion within said bore and render said shaft ineffective.

3. In combination with a swinging door, an improved door latching structure comprising a latch element for engagement with a keeper, cam means for shifting said latch element, said cam means being provided with a non-circular cross sectional bore, an operating shaft extending through said bore and having a cross section corresponding to the cross section of said bore, said shaft having a reduced central portion rotatably disposable within said bore, operating handles disposed on opposite ends of said shaft and rigidly secured thereto for rotation therewith, spring means urging said shaft through said bore to normally position said reduced central portion within said bore and render said shaft ineffective, said spring means urging said shaft in a direction opposite to the direction of opening of said door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 855,177 Jack May 28, 1907 1,169,659 Lowell Jan. 25, 1916 1,387,888 Holt Aug. 16, 1921 1,968,285 Egan July 31, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 171,565 Great Britain Nov. 24, 1921 

